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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27442783">Skam DC Season 4 Episode 8: You're A Good Person</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bramgreenfeld/pseuds/skamDC'>skamDC (bramgreenfeld)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Skam DC: Season 4 [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work, SKAM (Norway)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Multi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:28:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,418</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27442783</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bramgreenfeld/pseuds/skamDC</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Safiyya Bashir knows that this is going to be one of the most important years of her life. Junior year is one of the biggest things that colleges look at, and she’s determined to make it count. It should have been easy - she was the clear frontrunner for editor of the school newspaper this year, and there certainly aren’t any distractions in her love life. What she never expected was opposition from someone she’d tried hard to ignore, the return of old friends from her past - and that she might actually have a chance with the girl of her dreams.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Safiyya Bashir/Ruby Rahim, Willa Liu/Holly Rojas Castillo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Skam DC: Season 4 [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1918819</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. SATURDAY 8:00PM: SABOTAGE</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31ST, 8:00PM</p>
<p>EXT. DC STREETS</p>
<p>Halloween by Phoebe Bridgers plays over shots of suburban streets at night, lit up by flashlights and bonfires in front yards. Kids run from house to house collecting candy, and compare their hauls to each other as they walk.</p>
<p>EXT. MARLOW HOUSE</p>
<p>SAFIYYA, HOLLY, WILLA, THEO, and KEIRA are roasting marshmallows around a fire pit in the Marlow's front yard, dressed in the same Riverdale costumes as last night. HOLLY has a large bucket of candy in her lap.</p>
<p>Two young boys are coming up the driveway, one dressed as a stormtrooper and one dressed as Miles Morales. They manage to get to the door before anyone can see them. HOLLY swivels around in her chair.</p>
<p>HOLLY<br/>Guys, candy's over here -</p>
<p>The door opens and THEO comes outside in his plague doctor outfit. The boys scream and run away. HOLLY sighs.</p>
<p>HOLLY<br/>Theo!</p>
<p>THEO waves cheerfully in the girls' direction, but doesn't say anything. HOLLY turns back to the girls.</p>
<p>HOLLY<br/>He's been wearing that stupid mask around the house all day. He keeps scaring me.</p>
<p>THEO is walking down the driveway towards the car. HOLLY turns back to him.</p>
<p>HOLLY<br/>Where are you going?</p>
<p>THEO says something, but it's muffled behind the mask. He removes the mask and tries again.</p>
<p>THEO<br/>Party at Callum's place!</p>
<p>He avoids eye contact with SAFIYYA, trying to pretend like she isn't there and not being very subtle about it.</p>
<p>HOLLY<br/>You're not bringing Kai with you?</p>
<p>THEO shakes his head, jogging across the grass to where the girls are sitting.</p>
<p>THEO<br/>No, he's not feeling that great.</p>
<p>WILLA<br/>Is he sick? He seemed okay last night.</p>
<p>THEO<br/>Not exactly. His mom was supposed to be home by today, but she had some kind of setback and he's feeling kind of down about it.</p>
<p>KEIRA<br/>Oh...</p>
<p>THEO<br/>Yeah. Jasper's with him, so he's not alone, at least.</p>
<p>HOLLY<br/>Wait, when did Jasper get here?</p>
<p>THEO<br/>He just never left after the party yesterday.</p>
<p>HOLLY<br/>Of course he didn't.</p>
<p>THEO<br/>Of course. I'm going to head out.</p>
<p>HOLLY<br/>You can take some candy if you want.</p>
<p>THEO<br/>No thanks.</p>
<p>He waves and then walks back over to the car. Headlights pass over the girls as he leaves.</p>
<p>The marshmallow that HOLLY was roasting catches on fire. She groans.</p>
<p>HOLLY<br/>No...</p>
<p>She carefully blows out the fire, then stares sadly at the blackened marshmallow.</p>
<p>WILLA<br/>I'll take that one. I like them burned.</p>
<p>HOLLY<br/>Seriously?</p>
<p>WILLA<br/>Yeah! This is why we work.</p>
<p>She begins to prepare a S'more. KEIRA turns to SAFIYYA.</p>
<p>KEIRA<br/>Is there anything happening with journalism this week?</p>
<p>SAFIYYA frowns.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>There's another election on Friday.</p>
<p>WILLA<br/>Shit.</p>
<p>THEO<br/>What are you going to -</p>
<p>Her phone starts ringing. She sighs, glancing down at it.</p>
<p>THEO<br/>Okay, I'll be right back.</p>
<p>She accepts the FaceTime call and walks away, closer to the house.</p>
<p>HOLLY<br/>What are you going to do?</p>
<p>SAFIYYA shrugs.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>There's not much that I can do. I'm just going to keep trying to be the best leader that I can and hope that that convinces everyone.</p>
<p>KEIRA<br/>You're a good person, you know?</p>
<p>SAFIYYA looks startled - she's never heard that before.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>What?</p>
<p>KEIRA<br/>Just...you're not thinking about trying to make Matt look worse, or just giving up. You just want to be the best you can be, and that's how you're going to win. I just think that's really cool.</p>
<p>It takes a moment for it to register with SAFIYYA, but once it does, she smiles.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Wow. Thank you, Keira.</p>
<p>KEIRA<br/>Why are you thanking me? It's the truth.</p>
<p>WILLA<br/>But if you ever want to sabotage him, or something...</p>
<p>HOLLY<br/>Sabotage him how?</p>
<p>WILLA<br/>I don't know. Doesn't he drink a lot of Gatorade? Replace it with dyed saltwater or something.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA can't stop herself from laughing, the other girls following suit.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Wait, how would that help me?</p>
<p>WILLA<br/>It wouldn't, but it would be really funny.</p>
<p>KEIRA laughs even harder.</p>
<p>KEIRA<br/>Sorry, but I just can't stop picturing...you know how they have those giant Gatorade coolers at games? I'm just imagining that whole thing being saltwater, but none of the guys want to let each other know because they want to be all stoic about it...</p>
<p>HOLLY<br/>They would be completely detoxified by the end of the game.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Wait, what? What the fuck does that mean?</p>
<p>HOLLY<br/>Apparently drinking saltwater works as a detox?</p>
<p>WILLA<br/>I think it can also be a laxative, so...</p>
<p>THEO sits back down just in time to hear WILLA speak.</p>
<p>THEO<br/>Okay, what the fuck is this conversation?</p>
<p>The girls only laugh harder.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. MONDAY 10:26AM: EASIER</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND, 10:26AM</p>
<p>INT. BUCHANAN HIGH SCHOOL, AUDITORIUM</p>
<p>A group of students are sitting in the auditorium seats - not even close to enough to fill it, and certainly less than the school was expecting to see. SAFIYYA is sitting near the front with BLAISE next to her and MATT in the row in front of them. A few representatives from the University of Maryland are on stage, their nametags reading "Alexis" and "Kelly".  </p>
<p>There is a powerpoint pulled up on the screen.</p>
<p>ALEXIS<br/>- ratio of 18:1. About half of the classes have less than twenty students, so once you start getting further into your major you'll have a lot more personalized instruction. Are there any other questions?</p>
<p>BLAISE raises his hand. KELLY points at him.</p>
<p>KELLY<br/>Third row, blue sweater.</p>
<p>BLAISE sits up straighter, leaning forwards.</p>
<p>BLAISE<br/>What's your acceptance rate?</p>
<p>KELLY<br/>Good question! This past year it was 47%. The average applicant's SAT score was 1380, the ACT score was...</p>
<p>ALEXIS<br/>31, I'm pretty sure. And the average GPA was 4.11 for this year's freshman class.</p>
<p>BLAISE nods.</p>
<p>BLAISE<br/>Alright, thank you.</p>
<p>He leans back in his seat. ALEXIS and KELLY go on answering questions. MATT turns around.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>(whispering)<br/>Bro, why did you even bother asking? You know you're going to get in.</p>
<p>BLAISE<br/>I don't <em>know</em> that.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>I do. You're one of the smartest people I know.</p>
<p>MATT nods.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>Yeah, and you're a Black, gay, autistic dude. It's going to be so much easier for you, they'll take one look at your application and accept you.</p>
<p>BLAISE stares at him, dumbfounded.</p>
<p>BLAISE<br/><em>Easier</em> for me? Yeah, that's why most universities admit such a small percentage of people of color. That's why only 7% of Yale's student body is Black. Also, I'm pan, not gay.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>Done your research?</p>
<p>BLAISE<br/>Of course I have! I have to. And being autistic? I don't even know whether I should disclose that on my application or not. That could literally hurt my chances.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>Aren't there laws against that kind of thing?</p>
<p>BLAISE<br/>Yeah, technically, but they see that I'm autistic and decide that my GPA isn't high enough or something.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>You have a 4.5 GPA. </p>
<p>BLAISE<br/>That's not the point - </p>
<p>The bell rings. MATT waves and takes off. BLAISE rolls his eyes, flipping through the UMD brochure that he's holding. </p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Is your GPA actually 4.5?</p>
<p>BLAISE<br/>4.6.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Damn. Didn't you want to go to an Ivy League school?</p>
<p>BLAISE<br/>Yeah, I just need a safety.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA can't quite hold back a laugh. BLAISE glances at her, worried.</p>
<p>BLAISE<br/>What?</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Nothing bad. I just can't believe that UMD is your safety. </p>
<p>BLAISE shrugs.</p>
<p>BLAISE<br/>Yeah, but I might not even get in to UMD. The odds are kind of against me.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA nods.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Yeah, I get it.</p>
<p>BLAISE<br/>I know you do.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA sighs.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Matt pisses me the fuck off.</p>
<p>BLAISE<br/>Same. He...he has no idea what real difficulty is. He thinks it'll be hard for <em>him</em> to get into UMD? Please. At least he can pay the application fee.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>You can't?</p>
<p>BLAISE waves it off.</p>
<p>BLAISE<br/>I'll figure something out. Anyway, Matt's going to struggle whenever he gets to something actually difficult. And that's why he doesn't make me as mad as he could.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA nods slowly. Something has just clicked for her.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Yeah. When things actually get tough for him - </p>
<p>The bell rings.</p>
<p>BLAISE<br/>Oh my god.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Fuck.</p>
<p>They both stand up, quickly trying to get their stuff together so they can get to their next class without being too late.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. WEDNESDAY 1:55PM: I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH, 1:55PM</p>
<p>EXT. BUCHANAN HIGH SCHOOL, HALLWAY</p>
<p>Students are exiting the journalism classroom, SAFIYYA at the back of the pack. She looks up, seeing MATT and some of his friends through the crowd. They're talking loudly and boisterously, taking up all the space that they possibly can.</p>
<p>MATT waves goodbye to the other guys and starts going in the opposite direction of them. SAFIYYA makes a split-second decision and follows him.</p>
<p>He ends up turning down a smaller, less-populated hallway. SAFIYYA steels herself and speaks.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Hey. I need to talk to you.</p>
<p>MATT turns around, raising his eyebrows in surprise once he sees who's speaking.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>Um, I have class.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Me too. It won't take long.</p>
<p>MATT plasters on a smile, not doing a very good job to hide how annoyed he is. He spreads his hands.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>Okay. I'm all yours.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Why do you even want to be editor?</p>
<p>MATT looks taken aback.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>Wait, what? What do you mean?</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>What do you think I mean?</p>
<p>MATT hesitates, then shrugs.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>Because I like the paper? I have a good time with it and I want to do more with it.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA nods.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>You don't do that many articles, you know. Like, last year, you missed about half of the issues. Granted, it was your first year, but you haven't been much better this year.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>Yeah, because I'm really busy. I've got football in fall and track in spring.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>If you're that busy, then why do you want to be editor? You have to go over everyone else's articles, still write your own...it's a lot of work and a lot of responsibility.</p>
<p>MATT falters for a moment.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>Um, why do you want to be editor so bad, then?</p>
<p>SAFIYYA stares him down.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Because I love it. I love writing and researching and interviewing, and I love that I get to spread the truth. And I get to make my voice heard - not because I want some kind of fame or glory or whatever, but because, I don't know if you've noticed, but that doesn't happen for me often. And this might just be a school newspaper, but this is what I want to be doing for my whole life. One day it'll be more than that, and I want to be ready.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>You sound really sure of yourself.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>You don't.</p>
<p>A frown tugs at the edges of MATT'S lips.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>Why are you talking to me about this? You could say it in front of the whole class and take votes away from me.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA shakes her head.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Because I'm not that kind of person. Even if I did do this in class, I wouldn't really think of it as taking your votes - it's more like getting more votes for myself. But this isn't really about votes. I'm just saying what I've been needing to say for a while, because I can't take it anymore.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>Meaning you can't take me anymore.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Interpret it however you want. And, like...I could tell the class, or I could go straight to Ms. Robins, about how you apparently don't really have that much time for the paper, and how that might reflect on you as an editor. But I think that might be kind of humiliating for you. So maybe you could do something about that.</p>
<p>MATT frowns, thinking.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>Are you telling me to drop out of track?</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Not track.</p>
<p>It takes another moment for what SAFIYYA has said to register.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>The election.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA shrugs.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Up to you. I'm going to head to class now, I just wanted to present the option.</p>
<p>She turns around, heading back down the hall. The camera follows her - we don't see MATT, but we do see how tense she is, how anxious she is about what she has just done despite her cool facade.</p>
<p>MATT (O.S.)<br/>You win!</p>
<p>SAFIYYA stops, turning around to face the camera. She still looks calm, but joy is clearly fighting to appear in her expression.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Excuse me?</p>
<p>MATT sighs.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>I'll talk to Ms. Robins tomorrow about dropping out, okay? You're - you're right.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA can't hold back her smile.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>I'm right.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>Yes. Don't make me say it again.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>I won't. I know it must have hurt the first time.</p>
<p>MATT slips back into his familiar smirk.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>Is it that obvious?</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Mmhmm.</p>
<p>MATT lets out a sigh and rolls his eyes, still not dropping his swagger.</p>
<p>MATT<br/>You're...you're actually kind of a good person, you know?</p>
<p>SAFIYYA nods.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Yeah. I know.</p>
<p>She turns back around, beginning to walk away as Galaxy by Chloe x Halle begins to play. Now, we can fully see the huge smile on her face.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. THURSDAY 2:46PM: APOLOGY ACCEPTED</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, 2:46PM</p>
<p>INT. BUCHANAN HIGH SCHOOL, HALLWAY</p>
<p>SAFIYYA is standing at her locker putting away textbooks. She turns to the locker door, looking at herself in the small magnetic mirror that she's put up. She looks more at ease than she has in a long time.</p>
<p>She closes the door to see NADIA standing on the other side. SAFIYYA jumps, startled.</p>
<p>NADIA<br/>Sorry! I meant to say something, but by the time I started talking you were already closing the door, and...</p>
<p>SAFIYYA nods.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>No, it's fine.</p>
<p>NADIA<br/>So...journalism was crazy today. </p>
<p>A smile plays at the edges of SAFIYYA'S lips.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Yeah, it was.</p>
<p>NADIA<br/>Did you have something to do with Matt stepping down, or...</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Um, I sure hope I did.</p>
<p>NADIA laughs.</p>
<p>NADIA<br/>Yeah, I guess you did. Um, I really just wanted to apologize for...well, a lot of things, but starting with not standing up to you against Matt. I know I thought it was a joke, and you had it covered in the end, but...still. It was shitty of me to just let him talk about you like that.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA nods with a smile.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Apology accepted.</p>
<p>NADIA<br/>And...I'm sorry about being so rude to you when I first transferred here. </p>
<p>SAFIYYA smiles fades.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Oh.</p>
<p>NADIA<br/>Yeah. I was really cold to you for pretty much no reason. I shouldn't have blamed you for what Jameel did.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA frowns, suddenly confused.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>What Jameel did?</p>
<p>NADIA<br/>Yeah. You know about him and Kayvan, right? Ruby told you?</p>
<p>SAFIYYA nods slowly.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Yeah. She did.</p>
<p>But she's remembering something else that RUBY told her - that it wasn't JAMEEL'S fault. </p>
<p>NADIA<br/>Um, I've got to go or Kayvan will drive away and leave me here - but it was really nice talking to you.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Yeah, you too!</p>
<p>NADIA waves and leaves. SAFIYYA stays where she is, still thinking. She remembers the story that RUBY told her - about how much shit JAMEEL and KAYVAN got, about how the group split up in the midst of it, about how KAYVAN got angry with her at the football game. About how KAYVAN kissed JAMEEL.</p>
<p>How KAYVAN kissed JAMEEL.</p>
<p><em>Oh</em>.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA'S eyes widen as she realizes the truth.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. FRIDAY 4:05PM: THE WORST THING THAT I EVER DID</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH, 4:05PM</p>
<p>INT. BASHIR HOUSE, HALLWAY</p>
<p>SAFIYYA is walking down the hallway, looking down at her phone. She hears voices coming from the living room and pauses in the doorway, peering in at her parents. They don't notice her listening.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA'S MOTHER<br/>- how they could be so heartless.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA'S FATHER nods.</p>
<p>SAFIYA'S FATHER<br/>Regardless of what we believe, they're still their children. I worry about those girls.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA'S MOTHER<br/>Ruby seems to be doing well, from what I've seen of her when she's with with Jameel. And she's gotten close with Safiyya...</p>
<p>SAFIYYA looks up and sees that JAMEEL is eavesdropping from the doorway on the other side of the room, leading to the kitchen. He makes eye contact with her, but he doesn't move, nor does his expression change. He quickly focuses on their parents again.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA'S FATHER<br/>Aaliyah doesn't live with her parents anymore, I've heard.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA'S MOTHER<br/>I'm sure they kicked her out.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA'S FATHER<br/>Aisha...</p>
<p>SAFIYYA'S MOTHER<br/>What? I know that they couldn't have handled it well when she came out as transgender.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA'S FATHER sighs.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA'S FATHER<br/>No, you're probably right.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA'S MOTHER<br/>I don't understand how you could give up on your own children like that based on something so small. We are who we are and we love who we love, and that shouldn't change a thing. </p>
<p>SAFIYYA looks over at JAMEEL just in time to see him leave. She hears the back door open and close. She walks away from the doorframe.</p>
<p>EXT. MARLOW HOUSE, BACKYARD</p>
<p>SAFIYYA walks outside to see JAMEEL sitting on the swings. He isn't swinging, just dragging his feet through the dirt listlessly. He doesn't look up as she approaches.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Hey.</p>
<p>JAMEEL<br/>Hey.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA sits down on the swing next to him.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>You were listening to Mom and Dad, right?</p>
<p>JAMEEL nods, swinging back and forth just slightly.</p>
<p>JAMEEL<br/>Yeah.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA scrunches up her face, trying to decide what to say. She takes a breath.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>I'm bisexual, you know.</p>
<p>JAMEEL nods.</p>
<p>JAMEEL<br/>I kind of figured, with the way you look at Ruby.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Okay, call me out. That's fine.</p>
<p>She drags her feet back and forth on the ground. She looks over at JAMEEL, but he won't look back at her.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>So, I've been talking to Nadia. She's in my journalism class.</p>
<p>JAMEEL nods.</p>
<p>JAMEEL<br/>(quietly)<br/>I know.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>I didn't know why you stopped talking to her and Kayvan for a while. Not until I talked to Ruby. She told me that...that Kayvan kissed you, you both got a lot of shit for it, and you grew apart.</p>
<p>She stops speaking for a moment. She clearly wants JAMEEL to look at her, but he refuses to.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>But that's not the whole truth, is it?</p>
<p>JAMEEL lets out a slow exhale.</p>
<p>JAMEEL<br/>...no. It isn't.</p>
<p>He doesn't elaborate.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Are you going to say it, or should I?</p>
<p>JAMEEL<br/>Whatever.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>It wasn't Kayvan who kissed you. You kissed him.</p>
<p>For a moment, time seems to stand still. And then, JAMEEL nods.</p>
<p>JAMEEL<br/>(choked up)<br/>Yeah...</p>
<p>He swallows and tries again.</p>
<p>JAMEEL<br/>Yeah. You're right as usual.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>What actually happened?</p>
<p>JAMEEL fidgets, flexing his hands, moving the swing slightly back and forth.</p>
<p>JAMEEL<br/>I don't know what you want me to say.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>The truth? Or however much you want to say.</p>
<p>JAMEEL nods.</p>
<p>JAMEEL<br/>Okay. Um, it was after a dance. We were outside hiding from everything, and I...I just...</p>
<p>He holds on tighter to the swing.</p>
<p>JAMEEL<br/>I couldn't stop myself from kissing him. And I guess someone else was out there too, and they couldn't stop themselves from getting a picture, because apparently it was just fucking hilarious that the Muslim boys were kissing. And people assumed that it was Kayvan for some reason, and I didn't correct them. I kind of did the opposite. And I think it might be the worst thing that I ever did.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA shakes her head.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>Kayvan misses you, you know.</p>
<p>JAMEEL<br/>And I miss him. Not even as...you know. As my friend.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA nods.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>I'm sure he understands.</p>
<p>JAMEEL<br/>Does he?</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>You won't know until you try.</p>
<p>JAMEEL sighs, burying his head in his hands for a moment. He stands up.</p>
<p>JAMEEL<br/>There are so many reasons why I shouldn't be this way.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA shakes her head.</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>No.</p>
<p>JAMEEL<br/><em>No</em>?</p>
<p>SAFIYYA<br/>No! You are who you are and you love who you love, and if that's anyone's problem, then fuck them. And you did a shitty thing, that's true. But you feel genuinely sorry, and you want to make amends, and that makes you a good person, Jameel. It makes you one of the best.</p>
<p>JAMEEL turns around, finally making eye contact with SAFIYYA. SAFIYYA stands up, walking over to him and pulling him into a hug. The camera zooms out slowly as City of Roses by Sufjan Stevens begins to play.</p>
<p>CUT TO END CREDITS AS SONG CONTINUES.</p>
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